


(O)nce (U)pon a (T)ime the Novelization

by Jeska09



Category: Canon Once Upon a Time, Captain Swan - Fandom, Fairy Tale - Fandom, Once Upon A Time - Fandom, Once Upon a Time (TV), Outlaw Queen - Fandom, Snowing - Fandom, ouat
Genre: Canon, Fairy Tale Retellings, Gen, Novelization, Retelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-26 16:37:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6247543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeska09/pseuds/Jeska09
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So, I struggle very much with setting the scene in my writing. I thought as practice I could novelize my all time favorite show. I thought having a visual of something I’m so passionate about might help me practice creating my own worlds with strong movement and dialogue. So this is literally the show, Once Upon A Time, as though it were written as a novel. </p><p>I don’t own any of these characters, or even words. Like I said I just did this because I love Once and wanted some writing practice. </p><p>Please tell me where I can add this to a fanfic site. And as always I would love to hear your suggestions and thoughts!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pilot.1

_There was an enchanted forest filled with all the characters we know. Or think we know. One day they found themselves trapped in a land where all their happy endings would be stolen._

_Our world._

_This is how it happened._

........

The stunning landscape around him went unnoticed as the man urged his horse to quicken his pace. His red cape reflected brightly in the contrasting mirror blue water that lined his narrow path between the mountains. The path that seemed it was meant for him to take to find the woman he loved; find her and save her at all costs.

Mud began to fly around him as he reached the edge of the forest. Tall pine trees yet another wall between him and his true love, forcing him to slow his horses pace. He had to find her soon, he could already be too late.

Sweat dropped from his brow as he tried desperately not to think of what would happen if he were too late. If the Evil Queen had succeeded in her curse, in ending Snow White's life and taking her from him forever. He didn't know how he would live with such a fate.

Snow was falling in a clearing just ahead of him, covering the trees and ground with a pure fresh canvas. He knew this is where he'd find her. Urging the horse on, but also desperately wanting to stay in the limbo of not knowing; not knowing he was too late and still having the hope of finding her.

Before him stood seven dwarves, surrounding a glass and wooden coffin, and tears came to his eyes. A coffin that beautiful could only be meant for one.

He jumped off his horse, his red velvet cape whipping in the air behind him. He stumbled up to the coffin as the dwarves began to turn.

"You're too late." A dwarf with a large puffy nose and red hat, Doc, began. The dwarf turned around and the group parted, revealing the beautiful glow of Snow White laying inside the coffin.

The man's heart began to break, his chest seemed to be swelling with pain and shrinking with loss at the same time, leaving nothing but a shriveled hollow feeling. It seemed the seven dwarves were just as heartbroken. Tears covered their faces. But Charming could not pay mind the that now. He could not take his eyes from his dearly departed.

"No, no!" He began to yell as he ran closer to her. He could not believe he had come this close to finding her, only to have her lost to him forever. The dwarves made space for him.

Snow White was laying there, more beautiful than almost ever before. Her porcelain skin glowing in the contrast of the wood used to make her tomb, her lips and cheeks still as rosy as they had been in life. Her dark hair in loose curls framing her face. She seemed to have a small smile dancing on her lips. The snow was still steadily falling around them as though the world was also weeping.

"I'm sorry, she's gone." The grumpiest looking of dwarves began. His hat a dark brown like the rest of his clothes, and his eyes and hair. His large nose was red, although Charming didn't know how much of it was from his obvious grief.

 

"Open it." Charming said through the tears in his throat.

Charming reached down and touched the glass, more careful than he'd ever touched anything in his life. Tears were falling of their own free will now.

"At least let me say goodbye."

The green forest around him seemed almost too happy, it's slight covering of snow too beautiful for such a moment. The dwarves all looked at each other and nodded in unison before slowly lifting off the coffin's cover.

He leaned in closer, almost at a kneel. He bent over and slowly, painfully, touched his lips to hers for the last time.

Yet, at the touch of their lips a bright light erupted from where they connected. The light was filled with clear rainbow colors and it whooshed out from them like a strong wind, filling him with hope, pressing the creases of his shriveled soul back into place. The light seemed to travel from them for miles, but Charming did not notice.

All he saw was her. After the light had left them she gasped, her lungs filling with air and her eyes shooting open. It was as though she were drowning and finally reached the surface.

He was elated. All of the places in him that were empty and black with grief came to life again. Filling with happiness and hope just as Snows lungs had filled with air. Desperately, and hungry for more.

Her stormy gray and blue eyes flicked over to him.

"You." Their hands reached for each other's face. "You found me." Her breathing was still ragged.

"Did you ever doubt I would?" He teased. He knew in his heart he would have searched forever to find her. Traveled to any realm. Spent his entire life in pursuit. He had no doubt he would find her.

He reached his hand out to her and helped her sit up, desperate to be closer to her. Their faces were inches apart.

"Truthfully," she started, "the glass coffin gave me pause." She laughed and he laughed with her, feeling happier than he ever had.

"Well you never have to worry. I will always find you." And he knew those words were a promise. And with like minds, she asked:

"Do you promise?"

Charming knew without a doubt, that he did.

…………..

“I do.” Charming was staring into the eyes of the woman he truly loved, and she was staring back at him.

Her dark hair was tied up in an intricate design on the top of her head, loose curls and pieces of hair only accentuating her beauty and white flowers scattered throughout. Her wedding dress was stunning, a soft white material at the top, yet when it reached her waist broke into thousands of white petals and feathers. They were surrounded by their people. People they loved and people who loved them.

“Snow White, do you promise to take this man to be your husband, and love him for all eternity?” She squeezed his hands and sighed happily, “I do.”

“I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The priest said happily. The crowd around them cheered, but they were barely heard by the couple in love. The couple that had defeated so many odds to find each other and find true love. Even the dwarf Grumpy was smiling and clapping cheerfully as they leaned in for a kiss.

But they did not get to meet their lips. All heads turned when the door to the ballroom slammed open.

The crowd gasped as the Evil Queen stood before them, dressed in an elaborate black ensemble that accentuated her curves and hugged in all the most dangerous places. Her shoulders covered with pointy thick material, and black lace draped over her forehead which was the beginning of an ornamented hairstyle that ended in a long sweep of hair across the evil queen’s shoulder.

“Sorry I'm late.” The sultry voice began, as she moved unnaturally quick towards Snow White and Prince Charming. The crowd refused to look at her out of fear.

Doc began to run up to them, knowing exactly what this intruder was after. “It's the queen,” he began unnecessarily, “Run!” Yet Charming felt his bride reach down past his waist and grab the hilt of his sword. The blade whooshed as she released it and bravely pointed it at the Evil Queen that no one else would even make eye contact with.

“She's not a queen anymore.” Began Snow. The Evil Queen looked amused as she walked right up to the edge of the gazebo in which they were wed so happily moments ago. “She's nothing more than an evil witch.”

Charming reached up to his bride, wanting to calm her. He had no doubt Snow could hold her own against her enemy, but he did not want her to provoke an unnecessary attack. “No, no, no. Don't stoop to her level. There's no need.” His carefully gave Snow’s hand that was holding the blade a small touch and she willingly let it drop. “You're wasting your time.” He told the Evil Queen. “You've already lost.” He took the blade from his wife and stepped in front of her. He was angry at the Evil Queen and desperate to keep her from hurting Snow again. “And I will not let you ruin this wedding.” The growl of a threat was in his voice. Snow grabbed his arm, and even though she was standing slightly behind him, he knew they were partners in this, a team. Neither stronger than the other, but stronger together as a unit.

The Evil Queen smirked eerily, her thick red lips curling around straight white teeth. “Oh, I haven't come Here to ruin anything.” She was standing up straight, only moving her head at the neck, clearly she was gleeful. “On the contrary dear. I've come to give you a gift.” A sneer.

“We want nothing from you.” Snow started before She could say anything else.

Almost immediately the Evil Queen retorted, “But you shall have it. My gift to you,” she flicked the train of her ensemble like a dragon's tail, as she started to pace around them, “Is this happy, happy day.” She seemed disgusted at the thought of the idea. “For tomorrow my real work begins. You've made your vows,” her voice turned to a growl, “now I make mine.”

The crowd whispered in fear as the ominous threat became clear in the Evil Queen’s voice. “Soon everything you love, everything all of you love,” she gestured around the room at Snow White's friends and loyal subjects. “Will be taken from you forever, and out of your suffering will rise my victory.” She turned and stopped pacing to glare into Snow’s eyes, wanting to make it clear that the threat was for her more than anyone else. “I will destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I do.” She flipped her dress again, allowing it to cascade around her as she turned on her heels towards the exit.

Fear and anger grew in Charming, and he could sense the same coming from his wife. the sword was still in his hand. Without thinking he yelled, trying to get her close enough to stopping, “Hey!” He took his sword, and threw it spiraling towards his enemy, almost certain it would stab her directly in the heart until she and it disappeared in a purple and black haze of smoke. Charming watched her disappear and reached up to cradle his new bride's head to his. They were as much as United in their fear as they were in their strength.

_**To be continued.** _


	2. Pilot.2

The young boy looked quite out of place on the bus, sitting all by himself with a large book placed in his lap. The other passengers gave him a few glances, but did not want to become involved and so they said nothing.

As they neared Boston, an elderly lady who couldn't help herself anymore leaned across the seat and asked him, “Is that a good book?” She gave the boy a large smile to let him know she was not trying to bother him.

He looked up, slightly annoyed. He closed the book and reached it out to show her the cover. “This? It's more than just a book.”

The lady chuckled at him and made a noncommittal response of awe and then turned in her seat as the bus driver called the boy’s stop.

He got off at Boston south station and found his way to the street where a cab was waiting for passengers getting off the buses. He felt as out of place as he looked, but he tried to manage a confident face as he walked up to a cab.

The driver did not acknowledge him, so the boy knocked on the window. Surprised, the driver rolled down the window slightly, a confused expression on his face. The boy held up a piece of plastic and smiled. “Do you take credit cards?”

……….

The elevator door opened to a crowded and elegant restaurant that was perfect for a first date. A small woman stepped out, wearing a tight red dress that accentuated her fit physique. Her blonde hair cascaded past her shoulders in large loose curls that bounced as she looked around for the person she was meeting. She had stern but beautiful features, and bright blue eyes.

As she walked the corner a man stood up from a table that was set for two. She smiled, he was rather good looking. His short haircut gave him an air of casual laughter, and he smiled when he finally saw her arrive. He looked pleased with what he saw. He reached out a hand to her. “Emma,” he said as a question and a greeting.

“Ryan,” Emma asked as she grabbed his hand and chuckled. “You look relieved.” They began to take their seats.

“Well, it is the internet. Pictures can be-” he began but Emma cut him off.

“Fake, outdated, stolen from a Victoria Secret catalogue,” she laughed again.

“Exactly.” Another awkward laugh.

“So,” Emma said trying to break the silence. At the same time Ryan began again with, “So, um. Tell me something about yourself Emma.” He had his hands placed in front of him on the table, his fingers entwined.

“Oh, uh, well, today's my birthday,” she looked at him and nodded slightly to herself for reassurance.

“And you're spending it with me?” Ryan questioned with a happy time to his voice. “What about your friends?”

“Kind of a loner,” she responded quickly.

“And,” he paused, guessing, “you don't like your family?”

“No family to like.” Another quick retort.

“Oh, come on. Everybody has family.”

“Technically, yeah. But not everyone knows who they are. Ready to run yet?” She added, her voice a little deeper than normal. 

He chuckled. “Oh, not a chance. You, Emma, are by far the sexiest friendless orphan that I have ever met.”

Emma smiled and laughed, flattered.

“Okay, your turn.” She held up her hands, trying to stop him before he began to talk. “No wait, let me guess.” She looked down from his face to her hands and quickly back up, eyes smiling. “Um, you are handsome, charming,” she began. His eyebrows raised happily as he watched her test her words.

“Go on,” he said.

“The kind of guy who,” she stopped, “now stop me if I get this wrong.” Her grinning face grew serious. “Embezzled from your employer, got arrested, and skipped town before they were able to throw your ass in jail.”

Ryan’s automatic reaction was to show off an awkward grin, as if what she had said hadn't registered yet. “What?” He asked solemnly.

“And the worst part of all this is your wife.” Ryan looked down at the table as she was speaking, confusion and anger on his face. Emma continued. “Your wife loves you so much that she bailed you out, and how do you repay that loyalty? You're on a date,” she finished, accusatory.

“Who are you?” Ryan asked, his jaw clenching.

“The chick who put up the rest of the money,” she answered, looking down her nose at him.

“You're a bail bondsman,” he said sitting up straight, hands clenching and relaxing.

“Bail bonds person,” Emma added, annoyed.

Ryan chuckled and tapped his hands on the table before reaching out for the ends and turning the table on its side. The small lamp that had lit the atmosphere, the untouched plates and wine glasses of water spilled all over Emma's bright red ensemble as he dashed from the restaurant.

Emma stood and looked down at her soaked dress and back up, angrily. She sighed. “Really?” She asked no one in particular.

Ryan ran from the restaurant and out into traffic trying to reach his car before Emma could catch up to him. The sky was dark and the roads reflected the city’s lights in the coating of rain that had recently stopped falling. He glanced behind him as he ran, sure she didn't stand a chance. He danced between flying cars, forcing the drivers to stop and blare their horns at him.

Emma was walking at a quick pace behind him, she walked out into the road not caring about the oncoming traffic. A sleek black car skidded to a stop as it swerved to miss her.

He reached his car as her heels clicked on the pavement behind him. “Come on, come on, come on,” he begged his car as he put the key into the ignition and turned. The engine roared to life and he tried to drive away. The car groaned and protested as his wheels skidded, apparently caught on something. “Come on,” Ryan said again to no one. He looked out his window and saw a boot trapping his car, making sure he was unable to go anywhere. Walking up slowly now, was Emma. She smiled.

“Look, you don't have to do this, okay?” He begged. “I can pay you. I've got money.”

Emma scoffed. “No you don't. And if you did, you should give it to your wife to take care of your family.” Ryan shot a venomous look her way.

“What the hell do you know about family, huh?” The venom in his face leaked out into his words. Emma's teeth grit as she leaned forward, grabbed the back of Ryan's head and brought it slamming forward into his steering wheel, knocking him out with one hit. She looked down at his passed out body for a moment before responding, “Nothing.” She sighed.

Hours later she opened the door to her apartment, holding nothing but her keys and a white paper bag. She leaned against the wall as she kicked her extremely high heels off her feet and left them on the light wood floor by the door.

The beautiful Boston apartment looked as though no one really lived there. The walls were untouched, bare of any color, picture or decoration. Boxes and case files were the only furniture besides a few chairs and a bed in her room.

Emma walked over to the dark marble island that doubled as a dining room table and removed a white box from the paper bag. Inside was a single white frosted cupcake. She pulled it out and grabbed the box of candles she had purchased for herself. She did splurge a little and get ones shaped like stars. After all, you only turned 28 once. She grabbed the green star and slowly placed it into the center of the cupcake. After she lit a match she slowly lit the the candle. And leaned down to it, her arms crossed on the counter and her chin resting on her arms.

There were a thousand things she could have wished for, some trivial, some financial. But she knew what she really wanted. A desire that was buried so deep she barely admitted it to herself as she muttered, “Another banner year.” She kept staring into the flame for a few more moments.

She closed her eyes, made her wish, and blew out the candle on the cupcake she bought herself for her birthday. Before she could even rise up, the doorbell rang. She opened her eyes in surprise, having no idea who would be calling her at this hour. She looked down at her cupcake suspiciously before she walked down the hallway to get the door.

She quickly opened the door when she reached it, seeing no one at first glance. Then she looked down at a small, tan haired young boy with a large nose covered with freckles and an adorable smile. He was wearing a thick gray petticoat and had a knitted scarf around his neck.

“Uh,” she said confused, and leaned towards the trim, keeping on hand on the door, “can I help you?”

“Are you Emma Swan?” he asked, hopefully.

“Yeah. Who are you?”

“My name is Henry,” he began before saying the true bombshell, “I'm your son.”

**_To be continued._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this really fast before bed. To me it was one of the least interesting parts while rewatching the show, up until the cliffhanger at the end. I broke it the same time there is a commercial break in the show. I think it really shows how important the scenes that feel unimportant are. When writing, not everything is going to be a huge scene with lots of exciting things happening, and this is actually a good time to develop the characters. 
> 
> If you'd like to request any scenes, canon or not, I'd love the practice.


	3. Pilot.3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very short scene, but it's one of the most important in the whole story. The moment when Henry finds Emma. When the family begins their tradition of finding each other again. 
> 
> It's great and I hope I did it justice.

Pilot.3

The boy named Henry smiled at her as he ducked directly underneath her arm and walked straight into her apartment. 

“Whoa, hey kid,” she yelled after his descending figure. He was making his way to her kitchen. Her heart was hammering loudly in her chest. This can't be, this can't be. “Kid.” He completely ignored her. “Kid!” She yelled this time, not used to being completely ignored. 

“I don't have a son,” she said finally, to both him and very partially to herself. The boy kept walking into her house. “Where are your parents?” He finally turned to at least look at her now. He got the the chairs at the kitchen island and stopped, leaning into them. 

“Ten years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption?” He began. With his words Emma's world stopped. Or maybe it had always been moving at such a snail's pace that she didn't realize how much she would feel when it finally started again. Her toes tingled and her ribs ached with pressure. She was immobile now, unable to move until he said his next words. “That was me.”

Emma stepped back as the force of that statement hit her. She staggered for a moment. 

“Gimme a minute,” was all she could manage. 

She wasn't sure how she made it into the bathroom at that point. She shut the door and left her hand against the wood to stabilize herself as she panted, feeling immense pressure pushing down on her. 

She couldn't be anyone mother. She couldn't be meeting her son right now. Yet, here he was yelling about juice and raiding her fridge. 

She finally decided she had to come out, if only to get him to leave. 

She pressed her hand firmly to the knob and turned. He had clearly made himself at home. She tried to look stern as she walked out to see him drinking straight out of a brand new bottle of juice. 

“You know, we should probably get going,” he said after taking a final gulp. 

Emma walked the rest of the room and crossed her arms. “Going where?”

He chuckled as he said, “I want you to come home with me.”

Ha. Not happening. “Okay kid. I'm calling the cops,” Emma said, making her way to the phone. 

“Then I'll tell them you kidnapped me,” Henry retorted quickly. Emma didn't stop until she had the phone in her hand. 

“And they'll believe you, because I'm your birth mother.” She hung up the phone. 

Henry looked smug now. “Yup.” 

Emma mirrored his smug impression. “You're not going to do that.”

“Try me.”

“You're pretty good, but here's the thing,” Emma began, “there's not a lot I'm great at in life. But I do have one skill. Let's call it a super power. I can tell when anyone is lying, and you kid,” she paused, not feeling satisfied or smug anymore, “are.” This was actually true. She didn't know why but her whole life she had been able to sense if someone was telling the truth. It was just a gut feeling she had that always showed her the truth. She picked up the phone and began to dial again. 

“Wait,” Henry interceded looking much less confident and sounding like a ten-year-old again, “please don't call the cops. Please. Come home with me.”

“Where is home?”

“Storybrooke, Maine.”

“Storybrooke. Seriously?” Henry nodded. 

“Alrighty then.” Emma didn't know why she was doing this, what made her make the decision to bring this boy home. Something in his voice made her want to see this thing through, bring him back to his home and his best chance. She had to witness him going home or she would never be able to get him out of her mind. “Let's get you back to Storybrooke.” Henry smiled and even though Emma wasn't smiling, she felt herself wanting to. 

To Be Continued

**Author's Note:**

> I spent several pages talking about the first five minutes of Once. When writing my own book, the same space was spent on three different scenes including a preface. I believe this will be excellent for me to practice. 
> 
> If you'd like to request any scenes, canon or not, I'd love the practice.


End file.
